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SHERIDAN -Grit and heart have been a staple of the Worland Lady Warriors soccer team all season long and it was on full display in their 4-3 loss to Jackson for the 3A girls soccer championship Saturday afternoon.

Each team started the match with nerves, neither team could keep possession for long and when there were shots on goal they were well off the mark. 

The nerves settled as Jackson scored the match's first goal to take 1-0 lead. The Lady Warriors tried to answer with a goal of their own but the offense had a hard time finding any rhythm.

As the first half came to a close the Lady Broncs scored again to go up 2-0. Compounding upon an already frustrating half for Worland, sophomore Casey Wassum, the team's second-leading scorer, was injured and had to be helped off the field. Wassum returned a few minutes into the second half.

The first 20 minutes of the second half went just as poorly for Worland as they did in the first half. A handball in the box resulted in a penalty kick for Jackson, which they converted, and moments later the Lady Broncs struck in another goal to go up 4-0. 

Heads were hanging and shoulders were slumped for the Lady Warriors but not out of shame, it was frustration, like this shouldn't be happening.

Spearheading that frustration were seniors Emily Keller and Haley Schneider. Down four goals the seniors kept the pressure on Jackson. The pressure paid off in the 63rd minute as Keller scored Worland's first goal on a deep arcing shot that Jackson's keeper had no chance at preventing.

And like that, the fire was lit for the Lady Warriors.

Five minutes later Keller, pushing the attack once again, threaded the needle with a pass between two Jackson defenders to junior Hannah Ozmon who kicked in Worland's second goal.

Blood was in the water and Jackson was getting uncomfortable.

The second goal sharpened the Lady Warriors focus, the defense quickly stopped any attack or counter-attack by Jackson, while the offense was even more aggressive. 

In the 71st minute, Schneider took the ball down the left side of the field burning past the Jackson defenders. As she neared the goal the Jackson keeper and other Jackson defenders closed in on her, and at the last possible moment, she struck the ball sending it to the right side of the goal bouncing off the post and into the goal.

Electric is how you'd described the atmosphere as every Worland parent, fan and basically any non-Jackson supporter were cheering on the Lady Warriors.

The comeback wasn't complete though and the Lady Warriors went right back to work as they out-hustled a shook Jackson team.

With two minutes remaining the Lady Warriors worked the ball into Jackson territory that resulted in a corner kick. Ozmon waited for her teammates to get in position then sent the ball to senior Saydria Russell, who leaped above the Jackson defenders to head in the match's game-tying goal. But her header narrowly missed the upper left corner of the goal and went out of bounds for a goal kick.

Worland would get a few more chances at goal but there wasn't enough time left and the Jackson Lady Broncs defended their 3A state championship.

"Our seniors were incredible, their determination got us back in the game. Like with Schneider, you could see it on her face that this wasn't how the team was going to go out," said coach Danielle Warren.

"We just waited too long and in the first half we missed shots we normally make. Then when Casey got hurt it was another hit to us. And with a team like Jackson there isn't a lot of room for error," added coach Warren.

While the loss was disappointing, the Lady Warriors led by the seniors showed the strength and unbreakable spirt that make Worland High School girls soccer special and a force to be reckoned with in 3A.